Northern Dancer Herd

Hystericalady, a chestnut daughter of Distorted Humor from Sacramentada (Chile), by Northair, won the Hollywood Breeders Cup Oaks gr11 at Hollywood Park on June 11, 2006. She ran away with it by over seven lengths. She is a Kentucky-bred, but it is her Chilean connection that interests me, specifically her broodmare sire, Northair.

He is a Windfields Maryland-bred 1980 son of Northern Dancer from one of E.P. Taylor's yearling filly purchases, Bold Melody, a winning daughter of Bold Reason out of Broadway Melody, a SW by Tudor Melody. Northair was his dam's first foal. He won in England and in the USA.

Bold Melody produced four fillies in a row by Northern Dancer immediately after Northair. The first of them was Al Banyan who, in the latest catalogue that I have, was listed as being placed in England. The next filly listed was named Cadency, but her race record is unknown to me.

The reason Bold Melody was bred so often to Northern Dancer was because her dam, Broadway Melody, had earlier produced Broadway Dancer, one of Northern Dancer's first champions as a 2YO in France.

To round off this family's story, Northair, standing in Chile has sired 6 stakes winners from 202 foals with a very high AEI of 4.50. He is broodmare sire of 10 sws. Al Banyan became the dam of Qathif, a dark bay colt of 1987 by Riverman, who was a G2SW. Broadway Dancer herself, to the cover of Blazing Saddles (Aus) produced Belle Bleue, a bay filly of 1988, who became a stakes winner.

I am drawn to examine the pedigree of Captain Squire, a bay gelding by the Carson City stallion, Flying Chevron, from the At the Threshold mare, Dolly's Back. In 2005, Captain Squire, at age six, won the grade one Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Stakes. He has won over a million dollars. Northern Dancer pops up three times in his family, through Carson City, through At the Threshold and through Fire Dancer, broodmare sire of Dolly's Back. Fire Dancer was an unraced son of the Dancer and champion Forward Gal.

In Windfields Farm's 1967 yearling catalogue, hip 53 was a small, chestnut filly with a small star, four white stockings and a flaxen mane and tail. She was a May 17^th foal by Northern Dancer who would be named Drama School and who would be rejected by buyers. Windfields would race her to victory in the important Canadian spring filly stakes, the Selene and the Star Shoot. Drama School would become one of the ten stakes winners in Northern Dancer's first crop of twenty-one foals.

Drama School's dam Stalina was another of Taylor's top broodmares. Including Drama School, Stalina was dam of four stakes winners, the others being Grand Garcon, by Censor, who upset Northern Dancer in the important Cup and Saucer Stakes as a two year old, Sunday Sail, a colt by Alycidon, and Cut Steel, a colt by Chop Chop. In addition, Stalina had three stakes-placed daughters, Speediness, by Nearctic, Missy R, by Windfields, and Victoria Garden, by Victoria Park.

Stalina was by Stalino, from Boscabell, by Fairford-Hellenize, by Sansovino. At catalogue time, Boscabell had nine black type runners under her, not including stakes winning Stalina herself. Drama School, retired to the Windfields broodmare band, was bred to Buckpasser. This produced Canadian champion Norcliffe, a decent stallion in his own right, who sired At the Threshold and Groovy.

At the Threshold was third in the Kentucky Derby to Swale and won the Arlington Classic Gr1 and the American Derby Gr1. At the Threshold sired Kentucky Derby winner, Lil E Tee, who upset Arazi in that race. Groovy was an excellent sprinter and, surprisingly, was found in the pedigree of 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up, Closing Argument.

Drama School was another of those who would be left behind at the Taylor sales and who would help define Windfields Farm's contribution to international racing.

In the wake of the 2006 Belmont Stakes and the victory of Jazil, a male-line grandson of the immortal sire, Mr. Prospector, much has been made of the dominance of that stallion in the recent history of that race. I wish to point out the support that the Northern Dancer line has given to that success. Most of that has come through the contribution of three sons of Northern Dancer, Vice Regent, Storm Bird and El Gran Senor, each bred by Windfields Farm. The other Northern Dancer stallion involved, Nureyev, was bred by clients.

In 1995, the winning Thunder Gulch was a son of Line of Thunder, a daughter of Storm Bird. In 1996, the winner was Editor's Note, from the Mr. Prospector line with no Northern Dancer input. Then in 1997, Touch Gold was victorious, a son of the Vice Regent stallion, Deputy Minister. In 1998, winning Victory Gallop was from the Vice Regent mare, Victorious Lil. In 1999, Kingmambo, an excellent racing son and stallion by Mr. Prospector from the exciting Nureyev mare, Miesque, sired the Belmont winner, Lemon Drop Kid.

In 2000, Commendable, from the Mr. Prospector line, was the winner without Northern Dancer. In 2001, Point Given, a son of Thunder Gulch, crossed the Belmont line way in front and, through his sire, gave us a Storm Bird connection. In 2002, Sarava was victorious. He was by Wild Again, a Nearctic line stallion, from the Deputy Minister mare, Rhythm of Life. Deputy Minister, of course, is a champion sire by Vice Regent. In 2003, Empire Maker came on the scene, by Unbridled from the champion broodmare, Toussaud, by El Gran Senor, by Northern Dancer.

To wrap up the situation in recent years, 2004 gave us Birdstone, Belmont winner from champion broodmare, Dear Birdie, by Storm Bird. In 2005, the amazing Afleet Alex was a son of Northern Afleet, a son of the Nureyev mare, Nuryette. And then on the tenth of June, 2006, along came Jazil, a son of the Mr. Prospector stallion, Seeking the Gold, from the mare Better Than Honour, by, wouldn't you know, Deputy Minister.

The present bloodstock philosophy emphasizes the role of stallions. This is not a bad thing, but they are nothing without their mates. The Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer mix has worked well for a long time, and obviously shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Venezuela? Yes, Remarkable News is a Venezuela-bred racehorse. On May 28^th, 2006, this chestnut colt won the grade 111 Canadian stakes, the Connaught Cup in near record time.

His sire, Chayim, was a Kentucky-bred horse who was stakes-placed at Del Mar before being sent to Venezuela where, to date, he has sired 5 known stakes winners. He is a son of Woodman, who is by Mr. Prospector, and out of You're My Lady, who is by Roberto (grandsire of Barbaro, this year's Kentucky Derby winner) from Spring Adieu, by Buckpasser from Natalma, dam of Northern Dancer. You're My Lady is one of Spring Adieu's few winners. From a previous posting we have seen how Spring Adieu would ultimately give us the great racehorse and sire, Danehill, from one of her non-winning daughters, Razyana.

Remarkable News's dam is Unreachable, a Venezuela-bred. Her sire is Alhajras, a non-winner in two starts by Northern Dancer. He was a foal of 1987 and thus a member of Northern Dancer's second last crop. 1987 was the year that the Dancer's fertility came to an abrupt end. He sired only two colts foaled in 1988, one of whom, Northern Park, as you can imagine an expensive yearling purchase, became a SW in France. With that accomplishment, Northern Park helped establish the fact that Northern Dancer sired a stakes winner in every one of his crops, to the tune of 147, an amazing 23% ratio, stakes winners to foals, not to runners, but to foals, thus including all his 100 or so unraced offspring.

Though the odds-on favourite, Remarkable News had to be very brave in the Connaught Cup, battling three others down the glorious long stretch run of the Woodbine turf course. It was a blanket finish, with a nose, a head and a head separating the first four.

With two independent streams of Natalma in this pedigree, which we found in Danehill, it might be a smart move to consider Remarkable News as a stallion prospect.

We have the situation where, in telling the story of these prolific Windfields Farm families, there is always more to discover. This has now happened with South Ocean and her daughters, Oceana, Ocean's Answer, South Sea Dancer and Stormette..

First, there's a big Japanese elephant in the room when talking about Oceana, a daughter of Northern Dancer. It seems she was sent to Japan where she produced ten race winner, Biwa Shinseiki, a group 111 winner there who placed in many group ones. He won over the equivalent of $3,000,000.

Oceana's daughter, Colony Bay, is dam of Lindsay Jean, a grade 111 winner of over $380,000 who had multiple stakes wins and placings. Another daughter of Colony Bay, Crozet, won the Bay Meadows Oaks.

As to Ocean's Answer, I should have listed two other stakes winners of whom she was granddam, High Maintenance in the USA, and Igman, in France.

Looking at South Sea Dancer, she is granddam of Destiny Calls, a stakes winner who won nearly $500,000, and of You'llbeinmyheart, another stakes winner.

Finally, Stormette's son, Storm Trooper, was not just a "good SW" as previously described. He won the grade one Hollywood Turf Hdcp and was group placed in England.

Following the trail through racing history of these horses can result in surprises as further research uncovers more performance facts from the resources I have. It's like a puzzle and a detective story in one.

To continue the South Ocean story, in 1977 she produced Let's Go South, a son of One for All, a member of Northern Dancer's first crop and a champion on turf. Let's Go South was a minor SW and was sent to Australia to stand at stud.

In 1978 South Ocean returned to the court of Northern Dancer, producing Storm Bird. This colt went for a record million dollars as a yearling and did not disappoint, being an undefeated 2YO Champion in Europe. Heading into his three year old campaign, he suffered a physical attack by a troubled groom who mutilated the colt's mane and tail. For insurance purposes, Storm Bird raced once as a 3YO in late summer and was unplaced. He went to stud and produced major stallions, Storm Cat, Summer Squall, a Preakness winner and Bluebird, among others.

From 1980 to 1983, South Ocean produced four foals by Northern Dancer. The first, the colt Ballydoyle, cost a fortune, won a minor race in Ireland as a 2YO and went nowhere as a stallion. The Windfields Maryland-bred, South Sea Dancer, also expensive, became a stakes-placed winner and produced Signal Tap, by Fappiano. Signal Tap was a SW. South Sea Dancer's daughter, Island Wedding, by Blushing Groom, was a winner in England and gave us Winter Romance, a SW in England and stakes-placed in France.

In 1982 came Limbo Dancer, who would be unraced. He stood at Windfields for a time but was inconsequential. In 1983 came Oceana, also Maryland-bred at Windfields, and also unraced. As a Windfields broodmare, she was bred to the Mr. Prospector stallion, Gone West, and gave us Taylor-bred West Indies. She too was unraced and produced no winners from three starters, including Indian Halo, by Halo. Indian Halo is the dam of 2 Stakes winners, Megan's Halo, by Jules, whom we have seen is a member of Natalma's family. Indian Halo's other SW is Indian Ocean, by the Storm Cat stallion, Stormy Atlantic, from the family of Nureyev and Sadler's Wells, both important Northern Dancer sons. Indian Ocean won the grade 111 Affirmed Hdcp and was third in the Swaps Breeders Cup, grade two, both in 2005.

At Windfields Maryland in 1984 came South Ocean's last foal to be considered here, Stormette, a filly by Assert, by Be My Guest, by Northern Dancer. She would be a stakes-placed winner in Ireland in two starts. She gave us group winner Marillette, and Storm Trooper, a good SW. Stormette's daughter by Mr. Prospector, Khamsin, was only placed but, when bred to Caerleon, by Windfields Farm-bred Nijinsky 11, she produced Subeen, a winner in England who placed in the group one Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park, a very important 2YO stakes in that country. Subeen foaled in 2001 Stupendous Miss, by Dynaformer, sire of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro. Stupendous Miss in 2005 won the All Along Breeders Cup Stakes, gr 111T.

South Ocean is buried at the same plot, if I am not mistaken, as Northern Dancer, Vice Regent, Ballade at Windfields, Oshawa, Canada. There are others there, but none more deserving than her. The family begins for Windfields with foundation mare, Solar Display, whose influence we will see again in future postings.

If you are looking for a stallion prospect, try A.P. Warrior, a 3YO son of A.P. Indy who became a Kentucky Derby hopeful after winning the grade two San Felipe Stks at Santa Anita on March 18^th this year. His chances in the Derby itself were compromised by bumping at the start. His dam, Warrior Queen was a SW in England. She was purchased, carrying A.P. Warrior, for $2,000,000 at Keeneland in 2002. Warrior Queen is a daughter of Quiet American from unraced Call Me Fleet, a daughter of Afleet (by Mr. Prospector) from the Windfields Farm-bred Ocean's Answer, a SW by Northern Answer out of South Ocean.

Northern Answer, also a Taylor-bred, was unplaced in a seven furlong maiden run, I believe on turf, in his only start. He was royally-bred, being in the first crop of Northern Dancer out of Taylor-bred blue hen, Windy Answer, dam of Cool Reception, a courageous runner-up to Damascus on a broken leg in the Belmont Stakes of his year. With Quiet American in there, Warrior Queen is yet another of the Nearctic/Northern Dancer cross.

Let's look further at South Ocean. She was by New Providence, a Taylor-bred Canadian Triple Crown winner by Windfields patriarch, Bull Page. She was out of Shining Sun, who was by one of the other champion Windfields stallions, Chop Chop, from Solar Display, an unraced stakes-producing daughter of Sun Again. A Canadian Oaks winner, South Ocean's first SW was the filly, Northernette, by Northern Dancer, who would win the Top Flight Gr1, the Apple Blossom Hdcp Gr11 among 13 wins. Two of her offspring, by Mr. Prospector, were stakes winners. These were the colt, Gold Crest, second highweight in the Irish Free Hdcp as a 2YO, and the filly, Scoot, who won the Flower Bowl Gr1.

In 1976, South Ocean gave us Ocean's Answer, the mare in question with A.P. Warrior. To the cover of Mr. Prospector, Ocean's Answer produced Soundings, who became the dam of Green Tune, by Green Dancer (by Taylor-bred Nijinsky 11). Green Tune was a champion older male in France. During his career at the track he won the Dubai Poule d'Essai des Poulains Fr1 and the Prix d'Ispahan Fr1 among other stakes placings. He has sired 22 stakes winners in seven crops. Ocean's Answer is also granddam of the Champion French 2YO filly, Pas de Response, winner of the Cheveley Park Eng1; Didyme, a French Group 11 winner, and stakes winners Ecoute and Lac Dessert. Trust me, the South Ocean story is just getting started. We'll return to it next time.

Upon further consideration of my previous posting, the 1973 Canadian Horse of the Year, Kennedy Road, was by far the best racing son of Windfields-bred Victoria Park. Victorian Era was the best son bred by E.P. Taylor, founder of Windfields. Out of the non-winning mare, Nearis, by Nearctic, the blaze-faced Kennedy Road won the Queens Plate at three, then took on all comers on the tough California circuit. In all, he won 17 races and about $480,000. He won the Hollywood Gold Cup, the San Antonio and the Cabrillo, equaling the track record among other wins. He was nosed out in the Santa Anita Hdcp and also ran second in the Californian among other placings. He had a volatile temper and had to be cautiously handled during both his racing and his stud careers.

In a previous posting we noted the importance of the Nearctic mare, Quiet Charm, found in the fine stallion, Quiet American's pedigree. For a 2005 update on this mare's family, consider Quiet Royal, a 2YO of that year. She is a daughter of Royal Academy, himself a son of Windfields Farm-bred Nijinsky 11, from the mare Wakigoer, a daughter of Miswaki, a son of Mr. Prospector. Wakigoer's dam was Partygoer, a daughter of Secretariat from the wonderful Quiet Charm mentioned above. Quiet Royal won the Prix Miesque, Fr 111, and ran second in a group one. Her older full sister, Acago, a foal of 2000, won the Prix Chloe, Fr 111. Quiet Royal represents the Nearctic/Northern Dancer cross.

On May 29, 2006, two stakes were run at Lone Star Park, each $100,000 guaranteed. The Stonerside Stakes, for 3YO fillies at seven furlongs, was won by the chestnut filly Brownie Points, a daughter of Forest Wildcat, a son of Storm Cat, from the stakes-placed mare Stylish Society, by Forty Niner from Northern Style, by Ack Ack-Northern Heiress, by Nearctic from Yanina. Northern Heiress, from one of Nearctic's last crops, was a stripe-faced chestnut mare who won about $80,000 in 34 starts and who was stakes-placed. She would produce two stakes winners, the already-mentioned Northern Style among them. With the Northern Dancer stallion-line Storm Cat on top we see a repeat of a pattern I noticed with Barbaro, Bernardini and Electrocutionist, a Nearctic mare cross with a Nearctic-son Northern Dancer in the pedigree.

Interestingly enough, the other stakes of interest at Lone Star Park would repeat this pattern. Red Lifesaver, a 5YO chestnut mare by Victory Gallop from Brush With Tequila, by Broad Brush-Sheila Tequila, an Alberta-bred SW, won the Valid Expectations Stakes for her second stakes win after eight other stakes placings. Sheila Tequila is by Indefatigable, a son of Graustark, from Sheila's Girl, by Victorian Era-New North. Sheila's Girl, an April 15 foal, was a Windfields Farm-bred who sold for $3400 at the 1975 yearling sale.

Victorian Era was probably Victoria Park's best racing and siring son. He won many stakes among his twenty-four wins. New North was an unraced daughter of New Providence, a Taylor stallion and the also-unraced Northern Reply, by Nearctic. Nearctic sired 17 offspring in his first crop; 16 started, 16 won, Northern Reply being the only non-starter. She would die at age 7 in 1968. Her dam was Windfields foundation mare, Reply, by Teddy Wrack, also unraced. To the cover of Windfields, Reply gave us Windy Answer, a SW and dam of ill-fated Belmont Stakes runner-up Cool Reception, by Nearctic, and Ciboulette, a multiple stakes winner by Chop Chop and herself dam of champion and Canadian Horse of the Year, Fanfreluche, by Northern Dancer. The Windy Answer family also includes Coco La Terreur, Barachois, L'Enjoleur, Breezy Answer, Arctic Blizzard, Noble Answer and others. We will investigate this family further in future postings.

Red Lifesaver's sire, Victory Gallop, a Belmont Stakes winner, is from Victorious Lil, a daughter of Taylor-bred Northern Dancer stallion, Vice Regent. Vice Regent sired Deputy Minister, broodmare sire of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner, Jazil. There is the cross, Vice Regent, Northern Reply, as we saw Storm Bird, Northern Heiress above. It will be interesting to see if this cross emerges further, with other Nearctic and Northern Dancer players.

Windfields consigned its yearlings to the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's sale for the first time in 1968. Among the yearlings were three future standouts, Nijinsky 11, Vice Regent and South Ocean. A son of Northern Dancer from Flaming Page, by Bull Page, Nijinsky 11 was an English Triple Crown winner and sire of 155 stakes winners; a son of Northern Dancer from Victoria Regina, by Menetrier, Vice Regent sired 105 stakes winners; a daughter of New Providence from Shining Sun, by Chop Chop, South Ocean won the Canadian Oaks over Northern Dancer's champion daughter, Fanfreluche and became the dam of Storm Bird, another champion son of Northern Dancer who has started his own sire dynasty. All three of these wonderful yearling offerings came from the very best established Windfields families, the Flaring Top, the Victoriana and the Solar Display.

There were other jewels offered at the sale in the Taylor consignment. One was a chunky, star-faced May 3 daughter of Nearctic from the young, stakes-placed mare, Bally Free, by Ballymoss-Fair Freedom, by Fair Trial. Fair Freedom was already the dam of the multiple English and Canadian stakes winner, Marshall Ney 11, a son of His Highness; she also foaled two other English stakes winning fillies, Be Careful and Liberal Lady.

Christmas Wind was the name given to the Nearctic filly after she was purchased by the Rokeby Stable for $45,000. She raced at three with two wins from 5 starts and was retired. Her first foal, in 1973, was Weatherwise, a multiple allowance winner by Arts and Letters. She would become the granddam of Super Abound, winner of the grade one Secretariat. Christmas Wind's second foal, in 1974, was a Damascus filly named Desert Silence. About her I know nothing more. In 1975 came the delightfully named Gone With the Wind, a daughter of Buckpasser, perhaps a try at repeating the La Prevoyante cross. Gone With the Wind would only place in very few starts.

In 1976 came a big one, Winter's Tale, a gelding by Arts and Letters, who won 14 races from three to seven and about $880,000. Among his wins were the Marlboro Cup, the Suburban (twice) and the Brooklyn H, all grade one. In 1977 came an even more important offspring of Christmas Wind. This was the winning Damascus filly, Arabia. She will be long remembered as dam of Red Ransom, by Roberto. Red Ransom set a NTR in his maiden race at Saratoga, and then won and placed in his two remaining starts before injury. He sired ten stakes winners in his first crop, and to date has 55.

Probably his most important son is Electrocutionist who won the Dubai World Cup this spring. This colt is out of an Arazi mare, Arazi being a 2YO sensation by Blushing Groom from the placed Northern Dancer mare, Danseur Fabuleux. Thus, Electrocutionist is inbred to Nearctic in the manner of Barbaro and Bernardini.

It is always fun to look through the now old Windfields catalogues and see what people grabbed or missed. These documents remain a source of endless delights and memories of a youth well spent. For the record, Christmas Wind foaled 11 f, 9r, 7w, 1sw, which also included two other stakes producing daughters in Christmas Coin and Crooning Wind.